


A Siren’s Kiss

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) - Freeform, Keith & Shiro (Voltron) Friendship, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Pidge (Voltron) - Freeform, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) - Freeform, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Keith/Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Voltron, keith (voltron) - Freeform, keith kogane - Freeform, lance (voltron) - Freeform, lance mcclain - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-30 23:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13962831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After being shipwrecked and saved by a mysterious siren named Keith, Lance goes on a journey to search for his missing friends, and realizes that his strange connection to Keith was stronger than he originally imagined.(Sirens are similar to mermaids but are said to be more wicked and use enchanted singing to lure humans to their deaths; the siren depictions I use holds the mermaid image)





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is my first fic on here so it'd mean a lot if I received feedback and constructive criticism :) Thank you so much for reading. (And note- some of these chapters are fairly short! This fic might be a little long but bear with me.) Thanks again for reading! Your support is highly appreciated.

It was a stormy night at sea, the wind howling fiercely through the sails as they flap uncontrollably, looking as if they’d rip through any second. Thunder clapped through the dark clouds, lightning occasionally piercing through the dark colored sky. The full moon illuminated brightly, looking full and round alongside the gray clouds. Below it, the water looked almost black as large waves rippled through the ocean. The smell of salt lingered in the air and the sound of waves crashing being heard from all around.

A dark brown ship sails through the water, fighting to stand afloat. It was a dark and terrifying night for the sailors on board, even though they have been through nights like this. They refused to show any sign of fear though, especially the captain of them all, Lance Mcclain.

Lance encouraged his crew members not to give up, and to focus on sailing a smooth course. They obediently followed his orders, and no one dared to show any signs of disagreement. They all approved of him as a captain after all, and even though he wasn’t exactly the most fearful, he was definitely an experienced and deeply respected captain among all sailors.

Lance was a tall, lanky olive skinned brunette, with his short and smooth chocolate colored hair falling perfectly in place, shaping his facial structure. His hair was well groomed, and above his head was a blue captain-shaped hat. His blue uniform matched nicely, topping it off with large brown boots. He almost always had a grin on his face, and his mischievous smile would ultimately help lighten the mood on the ship regardless of the situation, such as the one they were in now- where the storm could dictate either life or death for everyone.

“Full course ahead!” a sailor yells above the ship, dropping more sails to hep steer their path.

“Waves are big, Cap’n,” a sailor comments to Lance, as his eyes are glued at the distance ahead of them. He is at the front of the ship, staring at the waves and attempting to analyze and predict its movements.

“Hmm..” Lance hums to himself, thinking deeply, “We’ll be fine, Hunk.” His eyes do not linger.

The sailor, Hunk, nods and leaves him be. 

“Rocks up ahead!” another sailor cries, seemingly the only female on board. The ship makes a sharp turn and almost knocks Lance off his feet. Enormous rock start to emerge in sight, the ship merely avoiding one. “Be careful cap’n!” 

“I’ll be fine! Pidge work on the sails!” Lance shouts to her, gritting his teeth. He values each of his crew members lives over his own, and in any heat of the moment, would happily lay down his own life for them. They were family to him. And as captain, he swore to put his crew members' lives before his own. 

The rocks appearing at sea were huge, with patches of moss attached to some of them. They were sharp and jagged, and could definitely bring down the ship in one critical hit. They were another threat, yet Lance’s confidence stayed did not waver. This was just something they had to pass through so the path can clear up.

“Don’t fret my good people, just sail straight through and stay as far from them as possible!” Lance yells confidently. He studies the rocks ahead, none blocking their course so far.

Lightning continued to crackle through the sky as larger waves set in. The tension grew stronger on board, and even Lance was starting to question himself. He dejectedly stares at his crew, seeing their blank expressions planted on their face. 

“I’m sorry if I failed you, or if I let you down,” he whispers, “but we have to have faith.” His crew stares at him and stops working for a minute. They look at each other and they salute Lance respectively. 

“You’d never let me down, Lance,” Hunk says, softy. One of the only people on board that were close enough to Lance to have the honor of saying his name. They were best friends after all.

Pidge nods, “Same with me.” Pidge was also one of Lance’s closest friends, the two sharing a close sibling-like relationship, Hunk included. They meant the world to Lance, and were also his best crew members. 

Lance gives a small smile. “I-“

The ship starts shaking as a rock scrapes the side. The sailors frantically begin to yell and rush to their positions, desperately. Lance looks, around in shock and rushes to the front of the ship. He feels a pair of eyes pierce through him, sending shivers down his spine. He whips his head around but can find no one locking their gaze on him. 

He shakes it off and helps tend to the wheel, turning the ship curtly to avoid the obscure rocks. There were large cliffs around, with the same rocks underneath. 

“There’s a small patch in the ship Cap’n!” A sailor yells.

“Patch it up!” Lance responds acutely, turning the wheel with all his strength. He grunts as the ship turns slightly against the wind, sweat starting to build up on his face. ‘Why are there so many rocks!?’ Lance thought, ‘The path is supposed to be clear!’ His hands grip the wheel tightly, and after a few seconds pass, a sharp voice distracts him.

The sound of a distant song being sung nearby rang through his ears, and his eyes widened. He glanced at his crew, nobody had their mouths opened as the song continued to ring. Lance grits his teeth and cups his ears, the sound getting increasingly louder as they draw closer to the cliff. The song changes its tune and isn’t as unbearable as before, a softer ring added to it.

Lance stares ahead and sees the outline of a figure perched below the cliff as the song continued. His eyes glazed over and tried to make out what it was before a voice was sharply mixed in the with the music.

“Come to me.”

As he stared, the ship suffered another harsh blow from a rock.

“Lance!” Hunk cried. But Lance didn’t move. His eyes looked over at him, then back, seeing the figure disappear.

He feels tranced and confused, as the waves unbalance the ship and knock him off his feet. He flies off the ship and his body crashes into the sea. He lets out a small gasp as he dives in the water. He resurfaces and struggles to stay afloat, the waves crashing into him and force his head to stay underwater as they pass. He sees the ship slowly pass and hear the sailors call for him. The coldness of the water reaches his body and for the first time in a while, he starts to panic. The waves get more aggressive as they push him under the water, and he starts sinking, his body giving up after a few minutes. He stares above him as he slowly sinks deeper into the ocean, knowing that this was it. His lungs scream for air but his body becomes limp and unresponsive. He sees a figure in the distance swim towards him, but his vision blackens before he can react.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work- it means a lot to me and I appreciate it so much! :)

Lance’s eyes snap open and his head began to pound. He groans and sits up, cupping his head. The sky was bright, and the sun shined eagerly upon him. He was on a beach shore, the waves rippling calmly next to him. After a few seconds, the memory of the day before slowly pours back into his mind.

Lance looks around in bewilderment, wide-eyed. Shouldn’t he have been dead? Where are his crew members? What even happened?

Lance tried to stand up but dizziness struck him. “Gaahhh..” he groaned.

“Hey,” a voice said from behind him. 

Lance turned around and to his surprise, what looked like a merman wallowed in the water. His jaw dropped as he tried to grasp what he was seeing. The person had a long lock of black hair, a mullet, reaching his shoulders and a set of captivating dark violet eyes that stared through him. His pale skin reflected the sun’s light as it shined brightly down at him. He was fairly built and lean. Noticeably, he also had small red markings on his face and a matching bright red tail.

Lance was lost for words.

“A...a...a mermaid??” Lance stutters out, confusingly. His face turning a bright shade of pink as he stares at him. The longer Lance stared, the more he realized how handsome this strange mullet dude was. 

“No! I’m a siren!” the man responds defensively, crossing his arms, and his tail lightly flickering in annoyance. “I was the one singing to you!” 

Lance tilted his head and put a finger to his chin, squinting his eyes as he expressed himself thinking.

The merman sighed, “I... saved your life.”

Lance froze. So this was the figure he saw? An actual...mermaid?

As if he could read his mind, the merman turned a bright shade of red. “There’s a big difference between mermaids and sirens! Mermaids help humans! Sirens sing and lure people to their deaths!” He stated almost proudly and slightly aggressively, his eyebrows furrowed. 

Lance took a step back, holding his hands up, “Whoa man! Damn, my bad.” The man’s sudden irritated expression surprised Lance, but he brushed it off. 

Lance connected the dots in his mind, making a mental note of the information the man said, as well as noting that the man has a temper, so he doesn’t offend him further and actually get himself killed for sure.

“So... why did you save me? Who are you? Where are we?!” The questions start pouring out from Lance’s mouth. He starts to ramble when he gets nervous, and at this point, he doesn’t know what the hell is going on! For Christ sake, he’s talking to an actual siren. He’s only heard stories about them, but they were always passed off as folklore. As a high-ranking Captain, Lance never doubted it, and went along with the stories. Lance also never once questioned the possibility of the species’ existence. 

The man goes quiet for a few seconds, staring at Lance solemnly. His bangs fall slightly over his eyes, but that doesn’t seem to bother the man. He just looked.. sad for some reason.

“I wasn’t supposed to save you.. my job is to lure sailors to their deaths, that’s what sirens do. But you...” he trailed off, trying to find the right words. “You just seemed different..” He lowers his head as if he was embarrassed, but Lance was unable to read his expression.

Before Lance can say anything, the strange man glanced back at him. “I guess I better get going,” he says awkwardly, breaking the silence.

“Wait!” Lance calls out before he can dive back into the water. The man’s pale back was facing Lance, and yet, was still a beautiful sight. The man turned his head towards Lance, who admired his side angle. He looked like an angel.

The man’s eyes darted around, as if looking for anybody who could be watching. His thumb began to rub his clutched fist nervously together in front of him. His face remained blank. Lance’s face turned more soft and adoring as he stared at him, but he quickly looked away when the man glanced at him.

“Please, I want to know more about you.” Lance states seriously, the usual grin on his face was gone and his expression turned more sincere and concerned. Lance stared into the man’s eyes, wishing to know more. He needed to know more. 

The man turned back around completely, letting his arms fall to his side, and stared sadly at Lance, with a frown staying on his lips. Lance looked out to the sea, his eyebrows upturned.

“Are they dead?” Lance asked softly. The man knew he was referencing to his crew members, and his gaze remained fixed on Lance, unwavering.

“No.”

Lance lets out a deep sigh of relief and places a hand on his forehead, feeling his body grow increasingly weak and worry eating him up. How long was he going to be stuck here?

The man watches his movements, and studies him closely.

“There’s a lighthouse up ahead. It’s old and with a nice human like yourself who lives there. He will welcome you, so you should stay there and rest,” he suggests. 

Lance bites his lip anxiously stares up ahead, “I have to find my crew members,” Lance says firmly. 

The man cocks his head slightly, trying to understand the reasoning behind his intentions. They were just humans after all, and they didn’t mean much to sirens like him. In their eyes, they were seen as weaker and siren-food pretty much. They never could explore or understand the ocean as much as they could, making sirens the superior species, or so he was taught. 

“Well, you should stay there for now until you get better.. There’s food and water, and plenty of stuff you humans need.” 

Lance stares at the lighthouse ahead, it’s pretty big and within walking distance. He wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea, but this man saved his life. If he would have wanted him dead, he’d have let him drown. Lance gets a gut feeling that he should trust him. Why was the man even being nice to him in the first place?

“Alright..” Lance says, accepting his offer warily.

Lance looks back over at Keith and their gazes lock. He wonders how he can ever repay him.

“Take care of yourself is all I ask. Maybe I’ll see you again..” the mysterious man states quickly. Lance examines his face and could swear he saw a small smile on his face, but he turns around soon after. 

“What’s your name?” Lance asks, in awe. A small breeze ruffles his hair and clothes slightly, and he watches the man carefully from behind.

A few seconds are exchanged, before the man finally speaks up.

“Keith,” he says, his head turned to the side, his black hair falling smoothly around his face.

“Keith... what a pretty name....” Lance whispers softly to himself. Lance straightens his back and puts his hands on his hips, grinning widely, “I’m Lance,” he states confidently.

Keith nodded, “I know.” His bright red tail flickers in the water, sending droplets everywhere. He dives gracefully into the water, and his figure is slowly lost within the deep ocean. Lance’s face is flushed, and he stares in awe for a few seconds before eventually making his way to the lighthouse.


	3. Chapter 3

As Lance heads to the remote lighthouse perched upon a rocky cliff by the shore, he felt the sun shining down on his skin. He wondered more about where he was. Was he on an isolated island? Were there other people-humans-like him here? And of course, where was his crew?

Pondering about his crew mates sends a pang to Lance’s chest. He worries about their safety and where they ended up. He can only imagine their reactions to his “death” and Lance’s anxiety skyrockets. He rubs his finger against his clenched fist as tears threaten to spill. He thought about Hunk and Pidge, and he even thought about the siren that saved his life, Keith.

There was something mysterious about him, but Lance knew close to nothing about sirens, besides the folklore, which might not be entirely accurate. After all, Keith saved his life. He just hopes he’s right when Keith told him another human lived at the lighthouse. 

After a long trail of footprints along the sand, Lance finally reaches the lighthouse. It was tall and looked a little old, with some small cracks and faded paint on it. The light was not on, considering it was probably around morning or high noon, Lance estimated.

As Lance neared it, he caught a whiff of what smelled like pancakes. His stomach growled loudly in response. Since when was the last time he ate? Lance didn’t even know. He found it to be a miracle that he was even still alive. 

When Lance took up the role of captain, he expected to die at sea as most captains went out- along with their sailors. Some are lucky and are able to live long lives, but thats just the small percentage of them. Most captains die very young, and Lance didn’t seem to be affected by that fact- and continued to fight for the position he earned now.

Lance shakes off the nostalgia and walks carefully towards the door of the lighthouse. He hears humming and hesitates a little before knocking. The noises stops, and he inches back, his heart pounding.

The door cracks open slightly, an eye peering out from the inside.

“And you are..?” A voice asks. 

“I’m Lance,” Lance replies. A few seconds pass and the eye squints at him.

“Uh- a siren told me to come here?”

The door closes, then a lock rattles and the door opens completely. 

At the doorway was a man, maybe in his mid to late 30’s, with freshly cut ginger hair and a big ginger mustache. He was wearing normal white clothing with big white slippers.

“I’m Coran!” The man says cheerfully, extending his hand. 

Lance looks taken aback but offers his hand in which the man shook it excitedly and a little too tightly. Lance stared at him and his brows furrowed. He was confused, not expecting to be greeted so happily. 

“Oh, goodness! Where are my manners? Come on in!” The man said, beckoning him to come inside. Lance walked in warily. 

The lighthouse was big, and to Lance’s right there was a small kitchen and table. There was a flight of stairs, probably leading to the light that drew in ships. 

“Take a seat! I can whip you up some breakfast. Coffee?” The man pulls out a seat for Lance. 

“Yes please,” Lance responds politely. He sat down and stared at his surroundings, trying to think of what to say and where to begin.

The gorgeous man, Coran, hovers over the oven, flipping pancakes and humming softly to himself. The coffee machine poured coffee into a mug, and Coran went to prepare it once it was done. He placed a plate of pancakes with butter in front of Lance, and the mug of coffee next to it, along with a cup of sugar and milk.

“Wow.. this is nice... thank you,” Lance said, feeling his stomach tighten in hunger. He realized how much he was starving, and Coran seemed like a nice person as far as he can tell.

Coran beams and takes a seat in front of him, with his own share of pancakes and coffee. He plays with his fork a little, analyzing Lance as he began to dive into his breakfast.

“So.. you mentioned a siren...” Coran starts, trailing off.

Lance nodded in response, a handful of pancakes in his mouth.

“Yeah, his names Keith. He sorta saved my life,” Lance said, muttering the last part, a little embarrassed by that fact.

Coran nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. He seemed to be deep in thought.

“I’ve been studying mermaids and sirens for years. I’ve never seen an actual siren in person, however..” Coran states, thinking, “It’s interesting that a siren would spare a human life. You’re certain it wasn’t a mermaid?”

Lance shook his head, “No, he made it very clear that he was a siren. I heard him sing too, but I can barely remember,” Lance scratches his head, aware of how foggy his memory was. He can’t remember past being on the ship and it crashing along the rocks, flinging him in the dark waters of the ocean.

Coran stared emotionless at his food, as if trying to find an answer or an explanation in his pancakes. 

“Besides the whole siren fiasco, I lost my crew mates and I need to find them,” Lance says, stuffing his face and smacking his lips.

Coran raises an eyebrow, “Your crew mates?”

“Yeah! I’m a captain, and my ship was in a bad storm and threw me out. I could have drowned if it weren’t for Keith,” Lance said, crossing his arms. His eyes looked down at his plate, and his expressed turned into worry. “My friends are out there somewhere. I have to find them.”

Coran stared at him, but not in pity. He wondered if there any way he could help the young captain.

“Well, I can help you young man,” Coran states, after a few moments of thinking it through.

Lance’s face lights up.

“Seriously?!” He exclaims, jumping from his chair and the table rattling in response, almost knocking over his coffee mug.

Coran nodded and looked outside the window, “I have a small boat out back. Not sure how your siren friend would feel if you were to go back on the ocean so soon.”

Lance’s face goes red and he crosses his arms, defensively. “I can be careful! There’s no storm, and he’s not really my friend..” 

Coran smiles curtly. “Right. Do you have any idea where your friends might have sailed to?” 

Lance thinks for a minute. “We were going back to our hometown after an expedition..” 

“I’ll go fetch a map of the ocean! One tick,” Coran says, happily. He rushes upstairs and the sound of shuffling and footsteps can be heard. 

Lance is relieved that Coran is willing to help him out. Maybe he used to be a sailor when he was younger, and his knowledge, especially of sirens, can be a big help. 

Coran comes downstairs with a rolled map in his hand and a bright smile planted on his face. “Come on! I’ll show you the back.”

Lance follows him outside, the sun glaring down at them in the sky. The boat was tied to a dock behind the lighthouse, and it was.. small. Maybe four times smaller than Lance’s old ship.

“She’s small but gets the job done. I only use her for fishing, mainly,” Coran remarks. “However, if your place isn’t too far off, I’m sure we can reach there in no sweat.”

Lance nods, examining the map held tightly in his hand. 

Coran rolled out the map in front of him, and he pointed to where they were. 

“We are on an island called Aeaea,” Coran states, “There’s a small village south, but I seldom visit, only if I need certain necessities.” 

Coran hands him the map, “Try to locate where you are.”

Lance could read maps, he was captain after all. A small island northward caught his eye, the ocean separating it from this equally small island. Lance places his finger on it.

“Thats where we were heading to.” Lance states, “Elba. That’s where I live.”

Coran stared at the mark and squinted. “That should be a good 5 days to get there.” 

Lance agreed on the estimate. He went quiet for a minute.

“But... you live here. Wouldn’t you rather stay?” Lance asks. 

Coran goes quiet and nods slowly. “You’re right, but I figured you needed some company. Maybe they can send me a bigger boat to get back,” he smiles, cheerfully. 

Lance’s eyes glinted and he felt genuine happiness for the first time in a while. 

“Thank you, Coran,” Lance states, eternally grateful for his help. Coran brushes it off modestly and smiles. He clasps his hands together optimistically. “Now, we have to pack for the trip! The quicker we can get ready, the quicker we can get the quiznak out of here.”

Lance nods and salutes him jokingly. “Aye aye Captain Coran!”

They both laugh before getting to work. Lance follows Coran back to the lighthouse to help gather the materials they need. Out of the corner of Lance’s eye, he could have sworn he saw somebody staring at him from afar.


	4. Chapter 4

As Lance loads the boat with materials, Coran remains in the lighthouse to change his clothes. He insisted on being in his “old sailor outfit” and Lance was actually curious to see what it looked like.

The boat was fairly small, but it had enough space to pack a few boxes of supplies. It already contained a small steering wheel, an anchor, and oars. They had a single sail, which was still perfectly intact. 

As Lance fits in the last box, he wipes his forehead and places his hands on his hips, staring at the full boat. The waves rippled underneath calmly, and the water twinkled from the sun’s rays. It was calming. It was ethereal.

Lance heads back over to the lighthouse to tell Coran that the boat was ready, and sees the man already heading out with his..outfit. It was a very exaggerated blue and white sailor outfit, and he even had a fake eye patch on. His hair was slicked back and he posed in front of Lance.

“What’d you think?” He asks, grinning.

“I mean...” Lance hesitates, “It’s definitely something.”

Coran models even more dramatically, earning a chuckle from Lance. 

“Gorgeous, for sure,” Lance says, in between laughs, “Anyways, I finished the boat.”

Coran nods in approval. He faces his lighthouse and places a hand on it, his voice growing softer, “Until we meet again.”

Lance notices how much the lighthouse means to Coran, and stays quiet during his final goodbyes. He must have been living here for a long time, isolated from the outside world. Lance feels his heart sink a little as he realizes that, and yet he feels grateful and relieved that Coran is willing to help him. Whether it was for Lance himself or for studying the sirens and mermaids, his kind gesture still impacted Lance greatly and he’d always remember this moment. 

They head to the dock and do a double check of all their things. Coran pats Lance’s back like a proud parent, “Good job.”

They settle in the boat. Coran does a quick run through of all the basic functions for Lance, and he nods as he listens. “Seems simple enough, my ship was much more complicated,” Lance commented. 

They raise the anchor and set off their boat. Lance grips the steering wheel, feeling a sense of excitement as he can finally feel like a captain again. Coran sits on the back of the boat with his notes, observing the waters. They wave one last time at the lighthouse and the island as they set sail into the ocean beyond them.

-

A few hours past of sailing, Lance occasionally looking at the map to pinpoint where they were. They set a course straight to the other island, making reference points of areas that are safe to sail on and areas not to cross. The last thing they needed was to accidentally trespass on someones territory. Lance was an experienced captain; he knew the fundamental basics and tips he’s acquired through training and other sailing expeditions. But anyone, even the most skilled captain, can make a mistake. And even a small mistake can cost you, that’s what Lance has learned.

Since the sky was clear and the weather was nice, Lance estimated that they wouldn’t be experiencing a storm or bad weather anytime soon. This was the perfect weather to sail in and Lance’s favorite weather.

Lance hummed as he stared at the vast ocean. Unlike most people he knew, he wasn’t terrified of the ocean. On the contrary, he loved and even embraced it. The mysteries and unexplored areas only added to his love and adoration of the ocean, as he was a sucker for the vast unknown. He’s always wondered what resided at the bottom, and as unusual as it sounds, Lance was never unnerved by the countless stories and folktales told about what could be lurking in the depths. The possibilities of what there could be is endless, and the theories excited him and motivated him to sail, hoping to one day explore the unknown- whether above or below the water. Lance wants to know what else is out there. 

Behind Lance, Coran sits comfortably as he reviews his research papers, while writing more notes about their journey. He occasionally glances at the waters for any signs of mermaids or other sea creatures, but he usually just comments about the fish that pass by. Like Lance, Coran also hopes to search for whats out there, whether it’s a mythical creature or something more. He hopes to meet an actual siren or mermaid foremost, as he's been studying them for years and swears of their existence, which Lance doesn't doubt at this point.

Coran also journals their adventure, and insists on reading his personal logs out loud.

“Day 1- Lance and I are sailing very smoothly. There's a lot of fish which I've sketched below. Lance is steering well, and we play small games to pass time. I really hope to see a mermaid."

Coran studies the waters again, and widens his eyes when he sees a shadow of what looked like to be a long-tailed creature swimming swiftly under the boat.

"Lance! I think there's a mermaid," Coran excaims, "Under the boat!"

Lance raises an eyebrow and looks over the edge of the boat, almost having a heart attack when he sees a face peer out from under the water.

"What the fuck!?" He cries as the head emerges from the water. 

Lance recognizes who it is immediately, and it wasn't a mermaid like Coran thought. It was Keith.

Coran's face pales and looks as if he'll pass out at any minute. 

"Oh my quiznak! A mermaid!" He gasps. 

Keith shoots him a look, and Lance waits for his heart rate to slow down before correcting him. 

"No, this is Keith. He's a siren who...saved my life," Lance said slowly. 

“What are you even doing? You shouldn't even be out here!" Keith exclaims, almost in a hiss, water dripping from his bangs. His dark violet eyes dart around quickly, as if making sure no one was around.

Lance's face reddens and he folds his arms, "You're not my mother! I can look out for myself, and I'm looking for my friends of course!"

"Yeah well, I can't be saving you all the time!" Keith shoots back, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It was one time!"

As the two bicker, Coran looks between the two of them and pulls out his journal to sketch Keith. He was surprised at the sight of him, but was more confused about the fact that he didn't slaughter Lance like sirens were supposed to, according to his own research. He doesn't question it in front of the strange man, and comes to his own conclusions.

Lance lifts up his arms dramatically, "Well, I'm sorry that I'm trying to find them! I never asked for your help or for you to follow me!"

Keith's face drops and his expression turns into hurt at Lance’s remarks. "I saved you, asshole! I’m just trying to look out for you!” He bites back, masking the sharp sting he felt with irritation. Lance’s response was like a slap in the face to him, but he refuses to let Lance see that.

Lance narrows his eyes, his lip curled. “I can take care of myself! I don't need you protecting me," Lance spats, jabbing a finger at him. 

Keith stares at him in total surprise, scoffing. His blood was boiling, and he clenched his jaw, trying to hold back his temper. Why was he being so ungrateful? Keith would never understand humans, especially not Lance. He just wanted to tear out his own hair and scream in frustration.

“Fine, I'm not the one killing myself!" Keith yells before angrily diving back into the water. He dashes away furiously, and swears to never go back. He thought Lance was different, but maybe he was wrong. He was angry and confused and hurt, not understanding why Lance would react like this. Keith expected a warm greeting, but instead he was bitterly unwelcomed as if saving his life meant nothing. Keith thought Lance would be an exception, but still Keith was discarded as trash like everyone else he’s tried to be close with has done to him.

Coran finishes his sketch of Keith and looks at Lance, taken a back by his backlash. 

Lance mumbles a little before going back to the steering wheel. He was surprised at himself for lashing out like that, but everything he said was true. Lance hated being underestimated, and he was more than capable of taking care of himself. True, Keith saved him once, but he didn't want Keith to think he was weak or useless because of that one time. He was a captain for fuck's sake, he shouldn't have been saved in the first place! That mistake took a huge toll on his confidence, and he feels embarrassed just thinking about it. Lance valued his pride and experience as a captain, but Keith went ahead and inflated his ego, intentionally or not, and Lance hated that with a burning passion. He can find his friends without Keith's help, and he doesn't need to be watched over and treated like an child. He can do this!

‘I'll show him that I can do it without his help..!’ Lance thought, promisig that he'll find his friends no matter the repercussions.

Below the water, a few sirens watch the boat pass by and proceed to swim hastily to a cave. A larger siren is lying in wait in the shadows as they approach.

"They're there Sir," one of them pipes up. They looked old, with thin strands of gray hair and sunken faces. 

"You know what to do," a deep voice says, as the figure emerges from inside of the cave. He had short black hair with a small portion of white hair falling over his face and a visible scar along the center of his sharp nose. He had a jet black tail that threateningly flickered at them, and his eyes were equally as dark, and looked as if little to no life resided in them. 

The sirens nodded obediently, their appearances morphing into younger and more attractive faces. They swim away quickly, as the larger siren watches them go with an emotionless expression.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I had major writer's block and I finally got this chapter done! ;; I'm thinking about ending it at Chapter 10 buuut next chapter there'll be a very nice close up on Keith and Lance's relationship and them sharing a nice moment together, alone, which is definitely going to be one of my favorite scenes. Anyways, I'm really sorry for the wait and again it means a lot for your support- even just reading this, and by sharing it too. I appreciate comments and kudos a lot <3 Thank you again!  
> (I just had to introduce a favorite of mine in this chapter ^^)

After a few hours, Lance’s hands remain gripping the wheel. He’d walk around and stretch occasionally, exchanging conversation with Coran, who was still searching for any signs of mythological aquatic life. In his spare time, Coran would sketch all sorts of things besides the fish and whales they’d see from time to time. He sketched the beautiful scenery and even rough shots of Lance from different angles. Coran’s sketches were beautiful and Lance was extremely fond of them, surprised at how talented he was with drawing.

The sun was still in the sky, but it was obvious it’d be going down soon. Thankfully, they had blankets and cozy jackets to keep warm if the wind picked up or if the temperature drops. 

Lance hummed and even sang a few songs from heart, some of them being in Spanish. Coran would always clap when he was finished, delighted at Lance’s performance, even if he didn’t understand much of what he was saying. Sometimes he’d join in with the best Spanish he could muster, and Lance was proud of his effort. They’d laugh and dance just for fun, and they were glad they had each other’s company. Lance secretly looked at Coran as the father he never grew up having. If he could pick anyone to be his father, it’d be Coran.

He’d hope Coran saw him as a son respectively.

After an hour of messing around, Lance swore he something in the distance. He pulls out a telescope to take a closer look, feeling his skin prick with unease. 

“Another ship!” Lance exclaims. He checked the map, and it’s just as what he thought. “We’re not trespassing territory though. Maybe a rogue traveler?”

The ship was sailing towards them up ahead, with a single white flag in the air. Lance noticed the ship’s size and realized it was much bigger than their boat, and Lance wanted to avoid any confrontation. He hoped this wasn’t a pirate.

The ship grew closer until Lance could spot out a single person on the boat, waving. 

The ship anchored next to their boat and Lance cautiously did the same, praying that they’d avoid trouble. He couldn’t recognize the person waving, but instinctively clutched a small dagger that was kept loosely at his hip. He shifted his gaze towards Coran whose face was blank.

“Wanna climb aboard?” A feminine voice asks. Lance looked up to see the person, a woman, peering down at them from her massive ship. She was tall, with glowing dark skin. She had a mix of blue and pink eyes with flowy white hair and a pink and white captain hat to top it off. Her outfit coordinated her hat, upholding a pink and white color scheme, with large matching boots. She was gorgeous, no doubt about that, but she was a stranger. 

“Uhh, no thanks we’re good!” Lance said, warily.

“Aw c’mon! I don’t bite,” she persuaded enthusiastically, showing off a toothy grin. 

Lance looked at Coran, waiting for his input, and he nodded. “I get a good vibe from her.”

“Alright,” Lance said firmly, not letting his guard down. A board is placed between the two ships, allowing them access. Coran walks across nonchalantly while Lance takes more caution. 

“You don’t seem to trust me very much,” the girl comments to Lance once he reaches the ship. He can see her better from up close and his face goes pink as he stares into her eyes.

“Well uh- it’s not that, I-I just,” he stammers.

She smiles and leans closer. Lance’s face is as red as a tomato at this point, and she doesn’t seem to notice. 

“Your ears.. are weird,” she remarks, frowning as she pointed to them.

“No they’re not!” He said defensively, cupping them with his hands. She giggles at his flustered response and glances back at Coran. She clears her throat.

“I’m Allura and I’m a traveler,” she says formally, extending out her hand. Coran shakes her hand first with politeness and Lance takes it casually.

“And I’m Lance,” he says confidently, feeling a tad bit more comfortable. He smirks at her and she rolls her eyes.

“A beautiful girl like yourself, out here alone?” Lance asks, raising his eyebrows in surprise. He made a small yet lame attempt at flirting, something that Allura quickly brushed off.

“Yeah, I can handle it,” she retorted slyly, showing off a small smile. She glanced over at their small boat and motioned towards it. “You live like this?”

Lance is speechless for a minute before laughing and Coran crosses his arms defensively. “She isn’t so bad! She works fine, Princess.”

Allura raises an eyebrow and smiles. Lance looks between the two of them.

“Ummm...? Princess?” Lance asks confusedly.

“Oh yes right! I forgot to mention but I’ve met Allura before, in my old sailor days,” Coran begins, nervously as he fiddled with his hands, “She was the princess of her land.”

Lance looks at her impressively and she gives a shy yet sad smile, almost forced. He doesn’t ask any further questions in case it was personal.

“Well, glad to be of service princess,” Lance says smoothly, bowing exaggeratedly. He was feeling relieved that there was a nice person at sea that Coran knew, a princess at that.

“Well, it was fancy seeing you once again Princess Allura,” Coran states politely, “But we are on an important expedition.”

Allura’s face lights up and raises her eyebrows, “An expedition you say?” 

Lance nods and stares out at sea again, “I’m looking for my friends.”

Allura gives out a soft smile and puts her finger to her mouth, thinking. She tucks a small strand of hair behind her ear before clearing her throat.

“..Maybe I can help?” She suggests.

The two men beam at her, their faces practically lit up like a lightbulb. Lance was shocked at her generous offer, and felt a swell of happiness rise in his chest. No wonder Coran knew her, they were both so oddly generous. 

“That’d be amazing!!” Lance shouts enthusiastically, fist pumping in the air. He appreciated any help that he can get, and her assistance would mean a lot to Lance. 

“That’d be very kind of you Princess,” Coran states admirably, equally as surprised as Lance. His respect for the Princess seemed to be growing every single encounter with her, and has witnessed her gentleness many times before. He adored her kindness and was almost like a proud uncle in a way. Lance wondered just how long the two have known each other.

“It’s honestly no problem, you need a bigger ship anyways,” she continued, pulling her white hair in a bun. “Let’s bring your boat in.”

As the boat was brought on the ship, Lance explained the situation to her. From him being shipwrecked to Keith, and told her everything- as if he was telling a story and adding in dramatic detail at every chance he could get. At the mention of the siren, her expression did not falter and remained unsurprised. 

“Yeah I’ve had a few run ins with sirens before,” she went on, her tone growing serious. “They’re bad news, Lance.”

“Yeah, but Keith was really nice for some reason. He saved my life, but then...” He paused, remembering their previous encounter. “We just got in a fight because he didn’t want me to be out here.” 

Allura nodded slowly. Her expression changed quickly, from sour to sincere. 

“It sounds like he cares a lot about you Lance,” she inquires softly. 

Lance’s eyes widened and his mouth parted open but no words spilled out. He closed back his jaw and frowned, staring at the hardwood floor. 

“I’m not good with that kind of thing,” Lance admits, breaking the silence. “Everyone that’s been close to me has either left or died. It’s the life of a captain I guess.” 

“I don’t know much about sirens, but I’m pretty sure that’s how they must feel too, especially those that are fond of humans,” Allura points out strenly. “I’m not a big fan of them, but from what you say about Keith, it’s strange how different he is considering he’s a siren…” 

She pauses.

“But I think you need to come to terms with your feelings.”

 

“Feelings?” Lance squeaks. “I barely know the guy!”

Allura smiles, “Of course. But it’s obvious you show a particular interest in him.” 

Lance knows she’s right deep down, but doesn’t acknowledge it aloud.

“Yeah well, it doesn’t matter...” he said, flatly. He crosses his arms and gazes into the sparkling blue sea. An unknown feeling swelled inside him at the thought of Keith, images flooding into his head from their encounters, as his stomach did more flips. The sudden glimpse of Keith before falling into unconsciousness, their first time meeting each other, their argument..

His heart sinks into his stomach when he remembers Keith’s pained face during their fight. He was hurt. They both were.

They were too caught up in their own feelings to realize that. But Lance is aware now, and how deeply wrong it all was.

Lance clenches his fist, and then releases his grip. He knows what’s really wrong, and why he reacted that way.

“I’m... I’m not good at this sort of thing,” Lance begins after a few seconds, hesitant clear in his voice. He paused. 

“I’ve never been in love,” he said, shoving his hands into his pocket and putting his full attention back on Allura. 

She looked concerned, her brow creased. She remained silent.

“I... when you become a captain, you don’t sign up for that kind of thing. Before getting married, most of us,” he swallowed hard, “-die. Sure I’d flirt or mess around, but settling down isn’t something that crossed my mind. Dating was way out of the question for most of us.”

His eyes narrow and his heart thumps against his chest. 

“Lance, you need to tell Keith how you feel,” Allura suggests, encouragement clear in her voice.

He stares blankly at his feet and shoves his hands in his pockets. 

“I’m… scared I already ruined something,” Lance said in a quiet tone, sounding defeated. He sulks as he shoves his hands in his pockets and grimly walks to the other side of the dock. He places his arms over the edge of the ship, looking out at the ocean, searching for anything to distract him.

He wasn’t sure what to feel or what to do. But he knew one thing for certain.

He hoped that Keith would come back. 

-

Lance remained by the ship’s side, not moving an inch out of place. He was thinking hard, and sometimes would mutter to himself or run a frustrated hand through his hair. His eyes refused to look elsewhere but the ocean, almost as if he’d miss something if he were to look away. Lance was blaming himself for what happened, and didn’t realize how badly he wishes he could have taken what he said. 

He never felt like this when he pushed people away. Never had he been this restless or uneasy. 

Allura and Coran knew he was feeling guilty, but Lance decided to be kept to himself, so they were left with no choice but to leave him alone and give him space. They still worried of course, but there was nothing more they could do for him but offer their support.

His gaze did not wander elsewhere as he searched underneath the ocean with his eyes, hoping he’d spot a certain siren’s shadow swimming gracefully by. But there was still no sight of him, or anything, even after hours pass.

Before Lance was about to give up, he catched a glimpse of what looked like a mermaid tail.

“Keith?” Lance exhaled, leaning over to get a better look.

No faces appeared but the ship began to rock back and forth, and a sharp blast of wind howling caused the sail to flap quickly.

“Wh- what’s going on?” Lance asks quickly, turning around to spot out Allura and Coran standing and looking around, as confused as he was. Allura rushes to the wheel as loud cries and groaning were bellowed from underneath the ship. The sky darkened quickly as gray clouds accumulated. The wind became more fierce with each passing second.

“Siren attack!” Allura yelled, gripping the wheel so tightly, her knuckles lightened. Coran quickly tended the sails, preferring to avoid any confrontation with the sirens. Lance rushed to Allura’s side but she shook her head. Using one hand to dig through a bag by her feet, she pulled out a long sword.

“W-whoa,” Lance sputtered out, staring at the red and white broadsword. “You want me to kill them!?”

“They’re attacking the ship, aren’t they?” Allura says, her voice firm, pulling the wheel.

Lance stares down at the sword, and for a few seconds, images of Keith flash in his mind. 

“Lance, quick!” Allura ushered, as sirens begin to pile and crawl onto the deck.

Lance runs in their direction and the sight of them horrifies him. They look nothing like Keith, they seemed.. much less humanlike.

They had dark gray, almost sick-looking skin, and were extremely boney with a sunken face and pitch black eyes. Their hair consisted of thin white strands ready to fall any moment, and their gray scales looked like they’d break off. They looked ancient and bloodthirsty, not beautiful.

Weren’t they supposed to look appealing? 

“Allura, I thought they are supposed to be.. beautiful! ” Lance yells out as he draws his sword. 

“Some can change their appearance at will!” Allura shouts back, “These ones must have been commanded to attack us!”

That’s right, they weren’t being lured. These sirens were attacking directly. 

Lance hesitantly stared at them, sword gripped in hand. They hissed and extended an arm in a slow attempt to grab him, but he jerked back. Their claws were razor sharp and their teeth looked equally mortifying.

He tries to fend them back, but their numbers were growing.

Lance grunts as he tries dodging their attacking- biting and grabbing. He feels the sword grow lighter and he swings at one that comes for his neck.

Slice.

He stares at the siren as his clean cut leaves the siren decapitated, their head rolling on the deck, their body going limp and crashing back into the water. 

His sword was covered in what seemed like blood, except the color was a murky green. It smelled horrible.

The sirens stop for a minute, and to think they couldn’t be any scarier, their claws and teeth grew longer and they started screeching in unison.

“Allura? Are they singing?” Lance asks, confused.

“Catch!”

A pair of ear plugs are thrown and he catches it quickly, shoving them in his ears. The plugs are effective in toning them out, and Lance goes back to knocking them off the ship with his sword and slicing some that were in his way.

Lance drove them off eventually, as Allura efficiency steered the ship farther away. 

Lance took in a huge sigh of relief, taking a seat, taking off his ear plugs. Allura sat beside him.

“You probably have a lot of questions,” Allura starts, staring at his sword covered in blood, “But first, let me ask mine.”

Lance nodded.

“I’m surprised you were able to fend them off as well as you did. You’ve used a sword before?”

Lance shrugged, “Captains require some skill for swordsmanship. But I mainly just keep a dagger on me.”

Allura nodded, “Okay. Go ahead and ask me what’s on your mind.”

“What were those things!? They didn’t even look human, how could they be sirens! Aren’t they all supposed to be attractive? And why were we attac-“ Lance blurted before Allura interrupted.

“Sirens can take on the illusion of beauty to lure in their victims, and some have different forms than others, like how some look more human and so on.”

Lance pauses, attempting to process the information quickly. He nods.

“So… Keith is really just a hideous monster?”

Allura sighs, “I don’t know! He doesn’t seem like any siren I know.”

“Anyways, I don’t know why we were targeted though.. it sure seems like someone has a grudge against us for some reason,” Allura said. “And they want us dead.”

“It couldn’t have been Keith,” Lance cut through quickly.

Allura shakes her head, “We don’t know at this point.”

Lance’s face drops and lowers his head, staring at the wooden floorboard. Did what he said earlier really take that much of a toll on Keith to provoke him to do this? 

“I just want him to know that I’m sorry,” Lance says quietly, his heart heavy with guilt.

“Don’t blame yourself, he’ll come back, he saved your life after all which had to mean something,” Allura says with confidence, “I’m going to go check on Coran.”

Lance nodded and was left to himself. Soon, the sun began to set and the sky looked to be painted a pinkish orange, clouds stretching across. It was peaceful, and everything felt okay for a few seconds.

Except Lance wished Keith was by his side, watching the sun fall behind the sea. Together.


End file.
